New Report Shows Where Working Moms Have It Best (and, Ugh, Worst)

I'm not a mom, but when I saw a new report from WalletHub about which states are better for working moms, I dove right in. If a state or employer makes working moms a priority, treating them with compassion and flexibility, everyone wins.

But what does that mean, exactly? Well, WalletHub looked at factors in the U.S. Census like child care (i.e., daycare and public school quality, access to health care, and child care costs), professional opportunity (gender pay gap, ratio of male to female executives) and work-life balance (parental leave, length of work day, commute time), broken out by state. They then scored each state to find out the best and worse places in the country to be a working mom.

All of these numbers are a great guide for women considering starting a family (or who already have), but other factors count toward quality of life too. For instance, if your extended family is close and willing to help out, you may not need to pay for child care (thanks, Mother-in-Law!), or you may work for an amazing company with better pay and policies than the numbers for that state suggest. So, you know, don't let the data sway you* too* much.

__What do you think: If you're a mom or think you might want kids one day, would you potentially move to a different state if you might have a better quality of life there? What factors are most important to you when it comes to where you live? Share in the comments below!